REGINA - The Government of Saskatchewan announced that it is investing over $1.9 million in 10 industry-led research and development projects through the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF) and Agtech Growth Fund (AGF).
SAIF supports entrepreneurs creating new products in the province’s core economic sectors, while the AGF operates in parallel in support of those creating new agricultural technologies.
"Our industries are innovating aggressively to create jobs and drive economic growth," said Jeremy Harrison, the Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan.
"The Government of Saskatchewan will continue to support these cutting-edge innovations by investing strategically through programs like SAIF and the AGF."
One of the projects being announced is led by Saskatoon-based Delco Water. The company is working with a number of rural municipalities and First Nations, including the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, to develop and pilot remote sensing technologies for water treatment facilities in rural Saskatchewan.
"These facilities are complex," said Scott Marchinko, vice president of Delco Water. “Having the ability to not only capture the data in real-time but also use this data to drive positive outcomes will help support the safe and reliable delivery of water to the communities served."
Marchinko said access to clean drinking water and wastewater treatment is a significant challenge for many rural and First Nation communities in Saskatchewan. Treatment facilities are expensive to establish and maintain. Delco's technology aims to help communities overcome this challenge.
"Real-time remote monitoring will allow us to proactively maintain our systems and minimize downtime" said Sulaiman Oggu, technical services manager with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council.
The intake period for both SAIF and the AGF is held twice per year. Funding decisions have been made for the fall intake of 2021 and spring intake of 2022. The non-repayable grants that have been committed to companies in the two intakes are listed in the backgrounder.
For more information about the Saskatchewan Advantage Innovation Fund (SAIF), and Agtech Growth Fund (AGF), visit www.innovationsask.ca.
